We made our way to our last official site visit and my personal favorite, Coherent. The visit was the first thing on our agenda for the day and although their products are quite confusing to grasp for some, it intrigued me and I wanted to learn more.
Coherent is building the next generation of electronics and technologies. Their entire company is building the components that go into some of the world’s highest forms of technology like medical-grade scanners, fiber optic lasers, and facial recognition lenses, and so much more. Some of their products are for other products that haven’t even been fully developed yet, constantly making them ahead of the game and competition.
When we began our tour I was impressed by how clean and efficient the work environments were. Everything was orderly and under pretty strict protocol. The employees seemed well trained and knew what they were doing, suggesting that Coherent’s employee training is effective. What truly surprised me was the pay rate of these employees. Our tour guide told us that these engineers make about $3 an hour (I wonder why their foreign employed retention rates are extremely low). I asked if they hired from foreign countries, to no surprise the director said no and that they typically stay within the nation. However, I will say the workers seemed to truly enjoy themselves. When we saw them on their break out in the courtyard, I could tell that the company truly cares about their employee well-being initiative ICARE. ICARE is an incredible resource at the company and gives each worker health benefits such as better healthcare, work weeks down to 40 hours, flexible work schedules, and many more crucial assets that contribute to the overall well-being of the employees.
Coherent has been rapidly expanding over the past five decades with their Vietnam location having been here since the early 2000’s. Their growth signifies their success, and with it comes growing to other foreign nations. Truly, I believe that even with the knowledge of the onset tariffs, Coherent could still expand to a new facility if they desire. They are one of the top producers for their field and their growth has only increased. With the constantly developing technology field, new components to these high-tech systems are needed, and with the extended space, Coherent can hop on the train before it even reaches the market.
After our visit with Coherent, we hoped on the bus to go grab a quick lunch before it was time to play a friendly match of soccer with the UEF club soccer team. It was such a fun time playing the game I grew up with halfway across the globe. We finished the day with some folk games before the awards ceremony. It was truly an incredible and exciting experience. I believe we are headed for the temples and more history classes for tomorrow’s agenda! I can’t wait to see what tomorrow brings.
